Three Days
by softspots328
Summary: Post 6x09. Brennan and Booth are dealing with the aftermath of her regrets. A little angsty, but I am a shipper til the end. They will get there... eventually. WARNING! It has now taken a slightly spoilery turn. Speculation on what is to come in season 6.
1. Progress

**Authors Note: I have written two small oneshots before, but this is my first multi chapter fic. I would love love love any and all feedback you are willing to give me! **

**I do not own Bones, if I did, Booth and Brennan probably would have been married and living in a suburb with 2.5 children by now...**

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Three days.

Three days for the world to be right side up again.

Well, it had been three days, and while Brennan was no longer seeing her face when looking at photos of victims or listening for answers from remains, her world was far from right side up. She had finally opened her heart, and the results were crushing.

She had felt something, and at first, that was enough. She told herself that at least she was living. After all, what had she been expecting? That Booth would drop Hannah within seconds of her professing her love?

'_First of all, you didn't profess your love' _she told herself, '_and secondly, yes, that is exactly what you were hoping for.'_

But that wasn't Booth, and she knew it. It was one of the reasons she cared for him so much. He was loyal, trustworthy, and a good friend. At least he had been a good friend. She wasn't sure were anything stood between them now. There partnership and friendship were incredibly rocky.

'_That is an extraordinary understatement.' _She scoffed.

So as she signed the last few documents for the Lauren Eames file, she closed her eyes, resting her head in her hands and listened to the silence in the lab. It had been hours since everyone had left. Cam was meeting Paul for dinner, Hodgins and Angela left early after an afternoon bout of morning sickness had Hodgins wrangling a very cranky artist, and Booth, well he was home with Hannah. They had all moved on for the evening.

They had all moved on in their lives.

And Brennan was exactly where she had been 5 years ago. Alone. Only now instead of an empty shell, she was experiencing pain and loss she hadn't felt since she lost her parents.

Progress.

~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~~

The shrill ringing of her cell phone awoke Brennan in the early morning hours. It had been two weeks since the Lauren Eames case had been closed, since she had divulged her biggest regret to her partner. Two weeks of no cases and no Booth.

The emotional and physical distance between the partners had been palpable since that infamous night in the SUV. On some level, Brennan had thought that they could go on pretending, but she quickly realized that she no longer wanted to pretend that everything was ok. She was not ok. Every time his name was mentioned or her phone flashed with a text message from his cell, the pain came flooding back. She didn't want to be in pain, she didn't want to think of the way things used to be, or could have been. And since she could no longer go back to a place of not feeling, she avoided his presence all together.

Only now, as his name flashed across her caller ID, she knew ignoring him was no longer an option. She was a professional; she would do her job and she would do it well, just as she always had.

"Brennan."

"Bones, we got a case. I will be by to pick you up in 15."

"I can drive myself. Text me the address." Brennan quickly hung up before the argument could ensue, knowing she would probably regret that decision later. But she had come to realize that things were not what they once were, and to pretend that everything is the same is completely irrational and foolish.

Thirty minutes later, Brennan pulled up to the crime scene, quickly glancing around to prepare for the situation she was about to embark on. She quickly spotted Booth, overseeing the FBI technicians already working the scene. Having learned in the last five years how to read Booth's body language, she was prepared for the bickering she expected would follow.

"Hunter found the remains this morning, I imagine they have been scavenged pretty badly, but no one has gone near the body. Didn't want to compromise the evidence." Booth curtly noted.

'_Ok… No hello, but you cut him off Brennan, you can't have expected him to be thrilled with you He wants all business, we can do all business.'_

"Female, 25-35 years old, Caucasoid, fracture on the occipital bone, likely as a result of blunt force trauma or possibly a fall. I won't know more until we get the remains back to the lab. Samples should be taken of the soil surrounding the body so that Hodgins can look for particulates. Once Cam is finished with the remains, I will do a thorough analysis and let you know the results. I am sure you can handle transport; I have a great deal of work to finish back at the lab." Brennan finished as she stood and flexed her back.

'_Don't make eye contact Brennan; he will see that as an opening. Just collect your kit and leave'_

She attempted to enact her plan quickly, but all was lost when her foot slipped on the slick ground. Booth reached for her elbow, swiftly supporting all of her weight and keeping her from a painful fall.

"Bones, you ok?" he questioned with genuine concern, all former frustration forgotten the second he saw her lose her footing.

For a brief moment Brennan felt comfort in his strong grip, flashing to a promise of "I will never let you fall"; however that moment was incredibly short lived as all the recent times she had fallen, quite alone, came slamming back to her in an instant. She pulled her elbow away, mumbling a quick thank you and made her way to her car; all the while ignoring the call of "Bones" coming from behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well that went well…" mumble Booth as he watched her car pull away.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting in their first case, their first interaction, since that evening.

He had made multiple attempts to contact her, but all had gone unheeded as she repeatedly ignored his messages. He considered dropping in on her, like he had done so many times in the past, but this was no longer the past. He couldn't keep doing things as he always had, he had a future now, he had Hannah.

Hannah.

The balancing act in the last few weeks had been torturous.

'_Who are you kidding Booth, it has been months that you have been trying to keep your two worlds from colliding'_

The constant worry about Bones, the constant worry about Hannah seeing him so worried about Bones, it was all starting to weigh very heavily. But as much as he told himself that he had moved on, that Hannah had become his priority, he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting to his partner in the middle of the night.

He was certain Hannah had picked up on something, no matter how diligently he had been trying to hide it. Her investigative and journalistic nature had her questioning him daily. He was certain she knew something was wrong, but hadn't quite put her finger on it yet.

'_She can't know. If she finds out about your past, about Bones, it's over.' _

Each thought had him more determined to quickly work things out with his partner so that he can refocus on his girlfriend.

'_Good luck figuring out how to square things away with Bones. She is angry and sad, and there is nothing you can do about it. This is your fault.'_

A wave of anger flooded him along with his guilt. His fault! His fault! He had done everything she had asked of him, and now that he was moving on, now that he was happy, she does this. Their problems were far from his fault and if she wanted to fix their partnership, their friendship, it was going to fall on her to make the first move.


	2. Change

**I really appreciate all the alerts and reviews :) I feel loved! Here is the next little bit!**

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"Sweetie…"

Brennan glanced up from her computer monitor as the forensic artist sauntered in and sat down on her office couch.

"Angela, I am quite busy, so unless this is pertinent information relevant to our current case, I am going to have to postpone whatever conversation you are hoping to have."

"Yeah, yeah Bren. I have heard it before."

In a brief moment of shock, the anthropologist's mouth fell open at her friend's candor; however, she quickly recovered.

"What can I do for you Angela?"

"Sweetie, this is not about me. I am simply giving you the opportunity to share whatever may be on your mind. Perhaps something regarding a certain knight in shining FBI standard-issue body armor and his blonde reporter girlfriend?"

"Angela, there is nothing to talk about regarding Booth, or Hannah for that matter. They are happy in there personal relationship and Booth and I are working together in the same professional capacity as always. What could there possibly be to discuss?"

"Cut the crap Bren. And this is not just the pregnancy hormones talking. I am tired of this! When are you going to learn that you have people that love you, that are here for you and that you can talk to? It is ok! What you are feeling is ok! And don't pretend you don't know what I am talking about; you are sad, you are hurt and jealous and angry. You love someone and they are with someone else, it is normal to feel the way you feel!"

Brennan raised her watering eyes to meet Angela's, and instantly the artist closed her mouth, regretting the harsh tone the conversation had taken. She stood up, and walked over to her friend, engulfing her in a supportive hug.

Allowing herself a moment of vulnerability, Brennan rested her head on her trusted friends shoulder.

"I am dealing Ang. I am dealing with this the best way I can, and the best I can do is to walk away and let him be happy. I am trying to work with him in a professional capacity and remove myself from the rest of his world. It is not easy, in fact most days I feel so lost that I don't know which way is up. But this is reality. I am not the cold fish that everyone thinks I am, but I am starting to think it would be better if I was."

"Brennan, look at me." The scientist raised her head. "You can not live your life keeping all of these feelings to yourself. And if you think that by keeping Booth at an arms length, you are going to be able to 'work with him in a professional capacity' you are crazy."

"I am a genius, Angela. I am far from clinically insane."

"Hyperbole Bren." Angela deadpanned. "You are keeping all your sadness and anger tucked inside and if you don't start talking to Booth about it, things are going to implode. We all see it, and feel it for that matter. The tension is ridiculous and the only two people who can do anything about it continually ignore that it even exists."

"Angela, while I respect everything you are saying, there is nothing to do. And perhaps if everyone could simply work in a professional manner, like Dr. Edison is constantly requesting, none of these problems would exist. None of these problems would have ever existed. So, if we could please get back to work on this case, there is a young girl, who deserves our best, she deserves justice."

And just like that, the artist had been dismissed. Conversation over. But Angela knew that it wouldn't last long, things had to change. For the life of her, though, she could not figure out how it could possibly change for the better.

As Angela left, Brennan contemplated their conversation. She knew that Angela was right. Things were noticeably different in the lab. And although she was personally grateful on some level for the distance Booth had imposed, especially since her declaration, if she was being honest with herself it had been difficult adjusting to the loss.

For now, she had decided to be content creating boundaries in her relationship and interactions with Booth. As she had told Angela, her relationship with him will have to exist in a strictly professional manner. Starting immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~~~

Booth had given her time and space. He had waited all day for her to call regarding any finds on the victim's remains.

Nothing.

The next morning he repeatedly checked his phone for any messages or missed calls from her.

Nothing.

By the afternoon he was beginning to get concerned.

'_You could go to the lab and see for yourself'_ He considered. '_You have been avoiding the lab for months for a reason you idiot, and it certainly hasn't been easier for you to be around her since that night._ '

As he internally debated the best way to approach his partner and somehow remedy the direction things had been taking, his phone rang. Elated, he answered without even checking the screen.

"Booth."

"We have cause of death and Angela has identified the victim."

"Cam?"

"Were you expecting someone else Seeley?" Cam responded, allowing herself a brief smile at his surprise.

"No, no. You found cause of death, that's great." He paused, waiting for Cam to elaborate. She didn't. "Okay, I guess I thought Bones might be calling to update me instead. I haven't heard from her since the remains were transported to the lab, which isn't like her and I was concerned."

"Dr. Brennan informed me that she had discovered cause of death and asked that I fill you in."

"Why wouldn't she just call herself Cam?"

"While I was not informed of a reason, Dr. Brennan may have stated that 'all case related conversations with the bureau and its employees' should be handled by me."

Booth's face went red with fury. '_The bureau and __**its **__**employees!**__'_ All he could hear was the blood rushing to his brain and his hand clenched around the phone.

"So Booth, as I was saying. The victims name is Rachel Halquist, she…"

"Cam, forget it. I am coming; you can fill me in when I get there."

"Booth I am not so sure that is a good idea."

But it was too late; he had hung up and was halfway to the parking garage before she could even finish her sentence.


	3. Because You Asked

**Author's Note: There is a small amount of cursing in this chapter, you have been warned! Thanks again for all the reviews and alerts; they are certainly helping my muse!**

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He had tried very hard to compose himself on the brief drive to the Jeffersonian. His bleach white knuckles gripped the steering wheel as he tried to let out all of his rage prior to entering the lab.

It wasn't working.

'_Like hell she is going to do this now.' _his thoughts threatening to explode in a great fury.

He quickly swiped his ID card and entered the platform. She could feel his stare burning into the back of her head.

"Agent Booth, I wasn't expecting you. I was under the impression Dr. Saroyan was going to fill you in on the pertinent information regarding the victim."

"I told her I would just come straight here to be informed, Bones." Booth's jaw clenched as he tried to hold back the flood of rage desperately wanting to escape.

"Well in that case, I would be happy to fill you in. But as we are in a professional setting, I would appreciate being referred to as Dr. Brennan." His fists balled at his sides. "Now, the victim, Rachel Halquist, was 27 years old, reported missing by -"

"Bones, I need to speak to you in your office now."

At this point, no one on the platform was moving, simply staring at the explosion they were expecting to occur at any minute.

"Agent Booth, the only thing we have to discuss regards this case and it would be best to discuss it where the evidence is present. Don't you agree?"

"No. I don't agree. There is a hellova lot more to discuss than this case! You, me, in your office NOW!" Grabbing Brennan by the elbow, Booth dragged her off the platform into her office. Slamming the door shut behind them.

Anger was now raging beneath the surface of Brennan's cool exterior. "I do not deserve to be spoken to that way, and if you ever lay a hand on me in that manner again I will not be responsible for my actions. If I do not wish to have a conversation with you, that is my choice."

"This is complete bull shit Bones and you know it. What the hell is going on Temperance?"

The use of her first name shook her momentarily, but the anger and sadness she had been hiding underneath the surface simply wouldn't stay put any longer.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! DON'T FUCKING CALL ME BONES! I am not your little pet and I am no longer your friend. We are work colleagues! That is it!"

"When the hell did we decide that!"

"**WE **didn't! You did! You decided that when you moved on!"

"YOU told me to move on! In one foul swoop The Great Temperance Brennan turned me down, told me to move on, and then asked me to keep working with her! **AND I DID IT!** I did everything you asked of me! My heart was broken, but I put myself through hell everyday because you asked me too! Because I loved you and you asked me too!"

Brennan stood slack jawed. Booth closed his eyes, desperately trying to pull the words back in. He had dreamt of a million different ways to tell Temperance Brennan that he loved her. In the middle of a fight, while their partnership was crumbling and he had another woman living in his home, was not ever how he had envisioned it happening.

"Booth," her voice caught in her throat, eyes beginning to tear up no matter how hard she willed them to stop, "I cannot do this. I want you to be happy, I do. But I cannot stand around and watch you loving someone else, knowing that I missed my chance. Knowing that we missed our moment and feeling like my heart has been metaphorically shattered into a million pieces."

"I did it. I stood by you every day, even when it hurt more than any pain I have ever experienced." Booth took a deep breath, "You are being selfish. I am asking you to stand by me as a friend and you are refusing to do it."

"Booth, please don't ask me to do this. No matter how badly I want you in my life, now that I have recognized these feelings, I can't live with the pain of being around you."

His anger trumped the sadness and guilt he felt for being the cause of her pain. She was the cause of his pain. This was her fault, and in feeling that resentment he allowed himself to say something he never thought he would.

As he opened the door, he turned to her and said "This is your fault. All you had to do was give us a chance. I offered you a lifetime, all you had to do was take it." He paused, for a moment he considered leaving the conversation at that, but the frustration had overtaken all rational thought. "I am done. Cam will be my Jeffersonian contact from this point on. If I need a squint in the field, I will take Clark. You got what you wanted Dr. Brennan."

As he slammed the door, she fell into the couch, "Not even close to what I wanted. You offered a lifetime, and you were gone in a year…"


	4. Questions

**Authors Note: In case you didnt read the warning in the summary, the story has taken a slightly spoilerly turn. PLEASE BE WARNED. Of course it is all speculation, but I certainly dont want to offend anyone. As always, thanks for the reviews and the alerts!**

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For a month the former partners had as little of an interaction as possible. Brennan communicated all of her findings through Cam. And just as Booth had promised, when a squint was required for field work, Clark was utilized. Angela had fought Brennan on her decision until it just wasn't possible to fight anymore. In the end, Brennan did what she felt was the right thing, separated herself from Booth in every personal aspect and in most professional aspects as well, working together on a strictly as needed basis.

Brennan watched as the close friends she once regarded as family all separated. This didn't really surprise her; Booth had warned her that they were the center. They had not held, and ended up taking everyone with them in their wake.

Brennan told herself that it was all just evolution, everything changes. Angela and Hodgins were having a family of there own, so it is not surprising that they had pulled away from the group as a whole. Same thing with Cam and Paul, whose relationship was blossoming very quickly.

Brennan chose to immerse herself in work. But after refusing to leave the Jeffersonian and her friends again, she was faced with the daily reminder that things were not what they once were.

Every evening, as she sat alone in bone storage, letting the quiet overtake her, her thoughts would drift to Booth. No matter how much she had wanted to block him from her mind, her heart wouldn't allow it. The memories their friendship had forged in her mind gave her something positive to reflect on when everything around her felt so bleak.

She wondered if he was happy without her, how Parker was, how his relationship with Hannah was going. But those were answers she is no longer privy to. She wondered if sometimes he wondered about her too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'_Don't do this to yourself Brennan. This is why you removed yourself from his life. He is happy without you. Happy with her. Of course he isn't thinking about you.'_

The last month had been difficult for Booth, though he thought he was hiding it well. He allowed himself to grieve the loss of his best friend privately, never discussing the burden that was weighing on his heart.

After all, who could he possibly discuss it with? Hannah had tried to get him to talk about the falling out. Constantly asking why he was no longer including Brennan in their lunches or outings, but he simply brushed it off with a "she is busy with work" or "Angela has been hogging all of her free time lately." And Hannah had apparently accepted this from him, '_just as she has accepted all of the other things you have hidden from her.'_

He quickly banished the thought from his brain. He was not hiding things from her; he simply did not wish to burden her with irrelevancies from his past.

He sat in the SUV just outside of his apartment staring at the beautiful diamond, willing it to tell him all the answers to questions he refused to verbalize. He kept telling himself that this was the right thing to do. He was happy. He was in love. And happy people who are in love get married. It is the next logical step.

'_Since when do you make the logical decision instead of the heartfelt one? When did you stop trusting your gut?' _His thoughts battled internally '_Where did using my heart and gut get me? That's right, alone. Broken. Standing outside the Hoover with a crushed soul. So now I am going to make the smart decision for once.'_

Snapping the ring box closed and taking a deep breath, Booth exited the SUV and made his way up to the apartment, preparing to ask a question that would change his life forever.

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**So, cliffhanger anyone?**


	5. Truth

**Do you hate me yet? I thought for sure after the last chapter that rotten fruit was going to get thrown at me. As always, thanks for your feedback!**

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The apartment was dark when he entered, so when he turned on the light and found Hannah sitting in the couch, his gut immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Hey babe, why are you sitting in the dark?"

Hannah had kept her gaze focused on her lap, nervously wringing her hands. When she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes, his heart nearly stopped. He quickly came to her side, embracing her.

"Hannah, what is wrong?"

As he sat next to her on the couch, he saw her bags stacked neatly by the door.

"Do you have an assignment?" Booth questioned, though he doubted very much that he would like the answer.

"Seeley, I am leaving." She whispered in response.

"For how long?"

"I am not coming back."

"What are you talking about? You are not coming back?"

"I know Seeley. I know everything."

His chest constricted, it felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. Her eyes pleaded with him to come up with some explanation, but she knew there wasn't one.

"I have been waiting for you to open up to me, to share your life with me." she continued. "You let me into your world so quickly, welcomed me into your home, and I never questioned that you hadn't talked about your past. I assumed you would come to me when you were ready. I never thought you would intentionally be hiding things from me, lying to me."

"Hannah, I haven't lied to you!"

Hannah quickly stood, unable to sit and hold back the disappointment and anger any longer.

"Tell me about the rangers, Seeley. Tell me about the gambling! How about you share anything with me about your family! You haven't told me anything!"

"Who the hell told you about the gambling?"

"I live here Seeley, how long did you think you could hide the past from me? I found your recovery medallion."

"Exactly, my **recovery medallion**, as in reformed. That is not who I am anymore."

Booth stood, reaching for Hannah's shoulders, hoping to embrace her, calm her down.

"Does she know about it?" Hannah quickly spun away, "What am I saying, of course she knows about it!"

"Hannah, don't." He growled, instantly protective against any attack on Brennan.

"Of course, heaven forbid we saying anything about Temperance at all. For someone who has always been just your partner, she sure knows a hell of a lot about your life. But let's not talk about that, right? Wouldn't want Hannah to think that something is going on. Well guess what Booth? I AM NOT AN IDIOT!"

"There has never been anything between Bones and I." he quickly countered.

"There is a freaking book about it Seeley! I work in the literary world; just because it wasn't published doesn't mean it isn't accessible! The last few months you have been distant. At first I thought it was about something I did, but this has nothing to do with me. It is about her! I was concerned, and the more I dug into your past with Temperance the more I figured out how wrong I have been. I have always seen the way you look at each other, but I would pacify myself. I would tell myself that it didn't matter, because you came home to me. But that's not really true, is it? You may sleep next to me. You may sleep with me. But you always dream of her."

She turned towards the door, knowing if she stayed and allowed him to talk, she would likely never leave. She had truly felt like he was the one. For the first time in her life she had considered settling down, for him.

"Seeley," she calmed her voice, "I could forgive the deception. I could forgive the fact that you have hidden every aspect of your past from me. But I can't pretend that I will not always come second. You gave your heart away long before you met me; stop pretending that it is still yours to give. It belongs to her. It always will."

And with that she picked up her bags, pausing for just a moment at the door, and without looking back, she walked away.

He couldn't breathe. Just like that she was gone and he was alone. Again. He gripped the ring box in his pocket, pulling it out and staring at if for just a moment before throwing it across the room.


	6. Heart

All of Brennan's efforts to forget about Booth seemed to be useless.

The pain of realizing that he had made a mark on her that couldn't be erased, couldn't be covered up, had been devastating.

He had once told her that the least we could do was let the marks people leave on us fade naturally, but she now felt as if the marks he had left on her would never fade. No matter how irrational and illogical that sounded, Brennan's heart knew it was true.

It had been two months since they had truly conversed about anything; however, she had seen him briefly in the lab while he was working with Clark.

He had looked horrible; dark circles had manifested under his eyes, and there was no cocky belt buckle in sight.

Brennan's first instinct was to question him, to ensure that he was ok. She, of course, immediately stopped herself from acting out in such a manner. She was certain that Hannah was just keeping him up extremely late with sexual exploits, and it wasn't a surprise that he had stopped wearing the belt buckle. It had been a gift from her; he had probably gotten rid of it.

She was sitting in her apartment, quietly reading her newest anthropology journal, when her phone rang. Pensively, as she did not recognize the number on the caller ID, she answered her phone.

"Hello."

"Hello is Temperance Brennan available please."

"This is Dr. Brennan. Who am I speaking with please?"

"Dr. Brennan, this is Dr. View at Washington General."

Brennan's heart lept in her chest, "What is it? What's wrong? Did something happen to Booth?"

"Actually, Mr. Booth suffered a mild heart attack."

"A heart attack! But Booth is in perfect health! What the hell happened?"

"Well ma'am, while he is in good health, he is 87 years old. But there is no need to worry, He was transported here from Sunrise Senior Living and he is doing quite well."

'87 years old. 87 years old.' Temperance willed her mind to calm down and make sense of what she was hearing. 'Booth, 87 years old. HANK!'

"Hank, is Hank ok?" Somehow news that it was the elder Booth in the hospital did little to quell her anxiety.

"Yes ma'am, like I said, he is doing quite well. However it has been very difficult to track down his family. We could not reach Seeley Booth and we were told that Jared Booth is out of town. Hank gave us permission to contact you. He said you 'could track down shrimp'; I assume he is referring to his oldest grandson."

"Yes, I can try to get ahold of Booth. I will be there in 15 minutes, what room is he in?"

"We are just about to transport him from the ER; the receptionist will be able to give you his location when you get here."

"Listen, he is family and cost is not a factor. I want him in a private suite with the best care possible." Brennan tried her best to erase the alarm in her voice and sound firm in her request.

"Yes Dr. Brennan, we will do our best to accommodate him." Dr. View conceded to the panic in the woman's voice.

'_Where the hell is Booth?' she thought._

She quickly dialed his cell phone, getting only voicemail.

"Booth! Where are you!" she tried to calm her voice, panicking him wasn't going to do anyone any good, "Listen, everything is ok, but Hank is in the hospital. He experienced a mild myocardial infarction, but is doing well. You need to come to Washington General as soon as you get this. Call me." She paused to take a deep breath, she was sure he would be able to detect the pain in her voice, "Please call me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He sat at the bar, exchanging glances between the glass of scotch sitting in front of him and the pool table that was only a few feet away.

'_Neither are really going to make you feel better.' _His mind begging him to stop this relentless torture on himself.

Every night he had wound up here. Talk about self-destructive behavior. He must really love to torture himself. Each night he would drag himself here, walking past the entry way where they had shared there first kiss. He would then order a glass of scotch, which he wouldn't drink because it reminded him of the time she sat on his couch, insisting on hard liquor, telling him that she wanted to believe in transcendent love too. And he would stare at the pool table, testing his strength.

Tonight felt different though. His thoughts were inevitably on her and how he had lost her from his life.

His eyes refused to leave the pool tables as his conflicting thoughts plagued his mind.

'_What do you have to lose? You stopped for her, don't pretend you didn't. You wanted to be the best for her. You don't have to worry about that anymore. Just play, allow yourself to feel something other than the pain. You can deal with the consequences in the morning.'_

He stood up, pulling his wallet from his back pocket.

It took all of his will power to pay the bill and walk away without laying every last dollar on the table.

He refused to dishonor her that way, at least not tonight.

As he got into the drivers side of the SUV, he noticed the missed call alert on his phone, which was sitting conveniently on the charger.

Missed Call: Bones

Fear ripped through his body, knowing she wouldn't call unless it was an emergency. He hastily dialed in to his voicemail, desperate to know what was going on.

After listening, he flipped on the siren, weaving in and out of traffic in an effort to get to Washington General more quickly, all the while thinking that he had once again proven he didn't deserve her.


	7. Moments

**Sorry for the delay guys! This one took a while to write... Enjoy!**

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After feverishly driving to get to Washington General and berating the intake receptionist who dared to take more than 30 seconds to locate Hank's information, Brennan was finally standing outside his room.

She paused to take a deep breath, attempting to reflect a calm exterior even though she was being torn apart on the inside. Her loyalty and love for Hank would never allow her not to be there for him; however, the thought of the inevitable interaction with Booth when he arrived at the hospital was making her ill.

Still, being here for Hank was the right thing to do; her personal conflict and pain would have to be set aside. She slowly stepped into the room, plastering the best smile possible on her face.

"Hank," she spoke softly as she walked to his bedside. "How are you feeling? What happened? Did you stop taking your Coumadin again?"

It would never be easy to seeing one of the Booth men in a hospital bed, but her nerves calmed when Hank smiled at her.

"Sweetheart, it is so good to see you, but stop your fussing. You think a little heart palpitation could put a strong Booth man down? I don't think so."

"Hank, a myocardial infarction is far different than heart palpitations." Brennan corrected.

"Oh stop, I am just fine. Have a seat." Hank gestured to the chair placed by his bedside as he arched his neck to look toward the doorway. "Where is Shrimp? They have him stuck with paperwork out there?"

Brennan sat down next to him, "I left him a message, I am sure he will be here any minute."

"In the mean time I get to chat with the most beautiful, intelligent bone doctor in the world. Don't you worry; he always comes running when you call."

"Not anymore." She mumbled, but quickly spoke up before the elder Booth could question her comment, "I also attempted to contact Hannah, as I am sure they are together, but she didn't answer her phone either."

"Why on earth would you call that blonde bimbo?"

"Actually Hank, Hannah is quite intelligent. And as her and Booth are cohabitating and engaging in a sexual relationship," Brennan swallowed, trying to force down the pain before Hank could notice, "it would only make sense that she was either with him or able to get in contact with him."

Hank eyeballed her and cocked one eyebrow up. "What is going on between you and my grandson?"

"Nothing is going on, we have taken a break from our partnership at the moment, but everything is fine." The lie felt as if it was burning her lips as it exited her mouth. She was far from fine, but Booth was ok and that was all that mattered.

"I don't think so. If everything was 'fine' you would be well aware of the fact that the waste of time my grandson called a girlfriend has been out of his life for well over a month. A fact you would be privy to if your partnership and friendship was 'fine' as you put it. A fact that would undoubtedly ease your heart."

Brennan quickly tried to shift her face away, desperately willing the tears not to fall. "Why on earth would I feel better about the fact that Booth lost someone he loves."

"He lost someone he loves alright, but that someone wasn't Hannah. He has been lost without you."

The comment caught her off guard; she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. If the confusion and pain Hank Booth found there hadn't broken his heart, her next comment would.

"He doesn't feel that way anymore, he moved on. We missed our moment." She whispered.

Hank took a deep breath. "Darling, I am going to tell you something that I probably shouldn't, but I trust you with his heart and I think you deserve to hear this. I think sometimes you forget that he is wounded too. Now, that is no fault of yours. He puts up an exterior that would make anyone believe that he is a tough guy, not affected by the cruelty and violence that was his past." Hank paused, emphasizing the importance of what he was saying. "When you have been hurt by those who are supposed to love you the most, it has a lasting affect on a person. But I suspect you understand that already."

Through teary eyes, Brennan nodded, waiting for Hank to continue.

"Shrimp has gone through a lot of bad times, resulting in bad actions occasionally. For a long time, I was so worried for him. But one day, he called me up, ranting about this conceded bone lady that was making his life hell. He went on for fifteen minutes about how she was making him miserable, but do you know what I heard in his voice?"

Again silently, Brennan shook her head no.

"Passion. Passion for his life… and passion for you. Up until that point, I had never heard him speak that way, sounding so alive. I knew. I knew that you would be the one to bring Shrimp happiness. You can't fake a spark like that. Now, I don't know what happened between you two that caused you to run to opposite ends of the world, but I will say this. It doesn't matter. None of it does. When it comes to the love between you and my grandson, distance won't break it, time won't touch it, and certainly no one can come between it. There is no moment to miss. Life is a series of chances and moments that we create, and when you and my grandson are ready, you will have yours."

Brennan hoped desperately that Hank was right, but the pain in her heart made believing him difficult. When she looked up to find Hank staring at the doorway, she knew. She quickly wiped her eyes, and without turning around she said, "Hi Booth."


	8. Bridging the Gap

**Ok, I am a bad little fanfic writer. I apologize for the delay, and then on top of it, this is a very short filler chapter. I am working very diligently on the end (I will be sad to see this fic go, it is my first multi chapter fic) and I hope to have the BIG finale up shortly. Thanks!**

* * *

No one in the room moved or spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Both Booth and Brennan were afraid to move, certain that the slightest motion would cause the world to shatter around them.

Hank decided to break the silence, "Hiya Shrimp. Good to see ya."

Booth was brought back to the reality of why he was standing in a hospital room in the first place and stepped towards his grandfather. He attempted to make eye contact with Brennan, but she refused to look at him.

"Pops, way to scare a guy. Are you alright? Can I get you anything?"

"You're just as bad as the lovely bone doctor here, I am fine and she has taken good care of me in your absence. Besides, you look far worse than me, I would ask what is wrong, but I am not stupid." He looked knowingly from one partner to the other.

Booth ignored the comment regarding his appearance, turning to Brennan, "Thanks for being here Bones."

Brennan broke her stare down with the hospital room tile to look him in the eyes, practically whispering in response, "That's what family does Booth."

"Well," Hank spoke as he stretched his arms over his head and gave a very unconvincing yawn, "all this excitement has just about done me in. If you all don't mind, I would love to get some shut eye. You both stop by in the morning for when I blow this popsicle stand. I will let you take me to breakfast."

Booth quickly attempted to protest on Brennan's behalf "Pops, I am sure Bones is very busy tomor-"

"Don't be ridiculous Booth." Brennan stepped close to Hank's bed side, kissing him on the cheek, "I will see you in the morning."

"Love you, Pops." Booth pulled his grandfather into a tight hug. "See you bright and early."

"Not too bright and early, a man needs his beauty sleep. Have a good night Kiddos!" Hank reached over to turn out the light as his grandson and partner left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~

Standing in the hallway of the hospital, Booth and Brennan each waited uncomfortably for the other to start the much needed conversation. After several seconds of silence, they both looked up at one another.

"Booth…"

"Bones…"

They couldn't help but smile at one another.

"Let's go for a walk Bones."

She nodded silently in agreement.


	9. Breathe

**I am so nervous to put this out there... This is the end folks. I hope you enjoyed the ride, and thank you sincerely for all the wonderful comments along the way.**

**I plan to have an epilogue out shortly...**

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The warm spring breeze hit Brennan's lungs as a welcome breath of fresh air. From the moment Booth had walked into the room, it had been difficult to breathe.

Once again neither knew where to start the conversation. What had once come so naturally for them, now felt so foreign, so strange.

Booth ran a hand over his face, trying hard to wipe away the exhaustion and sadness. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke, "I am sorry."

Brennan couldn't help but stop dead in her tracks. "What?"

"I am sorry Bones; I can't believe how badly I have messed things up."

"Booth, our current situation is not entirely your fault."

"Of course it is; I let you down. I never meant to hurt you Bones."

Brennan looked down at her feet, "You shouldn't apologize for falling in love with Hannah, Booth. She really is a great woman." Her voice caught in her throat, but she forced herself to continue, "She is beautiful, smart, sexually alluring, of course you fell in love with her. She is everything you ever wanted."

"Bones," Booth looked up to the sky, silently asking for guidance, "God, how do I say this…" He gestured towards a bench nearby, "Let's sit, please."

Brennan nodded, sitting with him. Booth couldn't help but notice the distance between them, physically representing what they had emotionally created between themselves. When he reached out for her hand, she began to shy away; then, coaching herself internally to take small steps forward, she met him half way.

"I have never been more lost and more hurt than I felt that night outside of the Hoover."

"I am so sorry…" Brennan quickly began trying to apologize.

"Don't. Please don't. I am the one who needs to apologize for that night." Noticing the hurt that flashed in Brennan's eyes, Booth quickly continued. "I don't regret telling you how I felt. I wanted so badly for you to know that you were the one I wanted to share my life with. God Bones, you have been the reason for so many amazing things in my life. I have experienced so much pain, so much violence, and you made me believe in good again. I am a better agent and a better father because of you. I never thought I could be the person I am today, and I know I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for you.

"What I regret about that night is not giving you a chance. I should have given you time. But, Temperance, I was scared too. I meant it when I said that I knew from the beginning; I meant it when I told you that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

Brennan couldn't hold it in any longer; the question that had been weighing so heavily on her heart had to be asked, "But you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Hannah too... I know that you believe in love that can last a lifetime. And more than ever before, I want to believe that too. I regret missing my chance more than you will ever know, and while you have made mistakes, I am the reason we are torn so far apart." Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she continued, making no effort to wipe them away. "How Booth? How can I know that we can survive what the future holds, when we shattered so easily once already? How can you tell me that I am your one person, when she was your 'one' not so long ago?"

Booth held on to her hand tightly, fearing that if he didn't hold on she would slip away yet again. "I was wrong and I lied. I lied to you, I lied to everyone around me, and I lied to myself. And what's worse is that I had no idea what I was doing until it was too late, until I had hurt so many of the people I care about. I just kept telling myself and everyone around me, that I was happy, that I loved Hannah, that I didn't need you and that I could move on, but the only person I was fooling was myself.

There is no life for me without you in it. And while we have been denying it for years Bones, everyone around us knows that we have a love that goes deeper than most people will ever see in their lifetime. You are it for me, and I will take you in my life in any way that you will have me. You are the best partner a guy could ever ask for, the best friend a person could have, and one day, if you decide that you want more, then I will be happily waiting. But even if that day never comes, I will still be the happiest man on earth, because I have you in my life.

I hurt you Bones, something I promised myself I would never do. I will never forgive myself for that, and for the rest of my life I am going to work to make that up to you.

I know that you are going to tell me that I am spouting off anecdotal evidence, that I have no proof, and that's ok. That is just one of many reasons why I love you, and I am going to spend the rest of my life showing you the anecdotal evidence, every single day. I am going to do everything it takes to show you just how much I love you."

Tears were now flowing down both partners' faces. Brennan averted her gaze downward, attempting to wipe the tears away. Booth was terrified at what her response would be. Had too much damage been done? Had he cut her too deeply for her to trust him again?

He barely heard the whisper coming from her, "Say it again."

"What?" Booth gently lifted her chin so he could look her in the eye.

"Please, say it again."

Booth sat stunned momentarily, afraid that he was misinterpreting the request. And then she softly smiled at him.

"I love you Temperance."

"I love you too."

The kiss began as a gentle embrace, their lips lightly caressing one another, until they passionately fell deeper and deeper into each other.

Two souls finally finding each other.


	10. Epilogue

**I sincerely appreciate all the kind words and alerts that this story has received. Being as it was my first multi chapter fic, I was a little nervous, but it has been so much fun writing this! I am both excited and sad to see it end. Thanks again!**

* * *

Sunlight shone through Brennan's closed eyelids as she tried desperately to hold on to those last moments of sleep. Familiar scents surrounded her and a smile graced her face. Refusing to concede to the sun's early morning wake up call, she rolled over, expecting to find his warm body to burrow into. When she found his side of the bed empty, she reluctantly opened her eyes.

Throwing her robe over her shoulders, her feet padded toward the kitchen. Even after six months of living together, she still loved waking up with Booth making breakfast in their kitchen. She preferred to wake up next to him, but having the gorgeous man shirtless and cooking her pancakes came in a very close second.

It had taken them a lifetime to get to this place. To be home. Even after that day on the bench, it took time for them to rebuild the trust and strength their bond had once had. There were bumps in the road. Brennan would call it arguing, Booth would call it bickering, but regardless they would always work to overcome it together.

Much to Booth's surprise, after five months of dating, Brennan had brought up the idea of living together first.

"_Bones! Bones! Have you seen my orange and white stripy socks?" Booth bellowed from Brennan's bedroom._

_Brennan made her way from the kitchen, only to discover Booth throwing clothes everywhere in her bedroom, desperate to locate the missing socks. "There is no need to yell, you probably left them at home. There is a perfectly acceptable pair of socks right here." Brennan held up the first pair she located._

"_Booonnness," Booth whined, "Those are blue and green. I need the orange ones with the white stripes. The flyers play tonight and whenever I where my lucky orange and white socks they win."_

"_It is highly illogical to think that an item of clothing could predict the outcome of a football game."_

"_Hockey Bones, hockey. The flyers play hockey, not football." He couldn't help but smile at her error, "and they play a whole lot better when I am wearing the right socks. I will just need to stop by my apartment after I drop you off at the lab."_

_Brennan paused, deep in thought. "Bones, you make me nervous when you get that face."_

_She snapped out of her reverie, "We should live together."_

_She said it so matter of factly, that Booth was taken aback. While he would be thrilled to live with the love of his life, he was certain that it would be his move to make. A move he didn't think she would be ready to handle for quite some time. _

_Slightly concerned by his lack of response, Brennan quickly elaborated on her request. "It is the most rational conclusion. We spend most nights together. It is increasingly difficult and inconvenient to shuttle our clothing and personal effects from one place to another."_

_He still stood there in shock._

"_Although, I guess I didn't consider that you may not be ready for that level of commitment. Perhaps you are uncomfortable with my cohabitating with you and Parker on your weekends…"_

_The hurt evident in her voice jolted him out of his stunned state. "Whoa Whoa Whoa Bones. First of all, Parker loves you just as much as I do. You are wonderful with him, and I have no concerns about you being more involved in his life. Second of all, there is nothing I would love more than to live with you. But when we decide to take that step, I want it to be because we want to take our relationship to another level. This is a major decision. One that should be made because of love, not because of rationality."_

_Staring at her bedroom rug, her response came in a voice barely above a whisper, "I miss you when you aren't here. I sleep better when you are next to me. I want to share as much of my life with you as possible. I love you."_

_Tucking his finger under her chin, he gently raised her head. The trepidation in her eyes nearly broke his heart. She relaxed as he smiled at her, the smile that was meant only for her. "Those are perfect reasons…" He tilted down and kissed her gently. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered "We are going to need a bigger place. Parker and I take up a lot of room. We better call the realt—" _

_He was cut off by her wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her lips feverishly into his. They fell backwards onto the bed and orange and white stripy socks were quickly forgotten._

A quick kiss to her forehead brought Brennan back to the present.

"You know Bones, thinking that much first thing in the morning will make you get wrinkles."

"That is highly improbable, Booth. While it has been found that an excessive amount of stress can expedite the effects of aging, I have seen no scientific research to support the theory that excessive thought can trigger the same response." Booth grinned at her literalness. "Oh, you were being facetious. Well regardless, I was just enjoying a pleasant memory."

"Well, as much as I would like to take you back to bed and help you create more pleasant memories, you need to start getting ready. We have a busy morning, so eat up."

"It's Saturday, do we have a case?"

"Nope, no case."

"Booth, I have a great deal that I need to accomplish today. I planned on working on my new book; you know how my publisher has been breathing down my shoulders."

"Neck Bones, breathing down your neck. And I know, but Cam called and she needs us at the lab this morning. Something about a mix up in the file on our last case."

Brennan bounced out of her chair quickly, "That is absurd! My files are done impeccably." She quickly retreated to the bedroom. After several moments, she barked down the hallway. "Get dressed Booth; we need to get to the lab immediately. I will not have my results called into question!"

Booth's grin went from ear to ear, quickly wiping it from his face, he rose from the table and headed back towards the bedroom. "Alright Bones, alright…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B&B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fifteen minutes later, Booth was behind the wheel attempting to placate an agitated Brennan. "Bones, let's not get to upset when we don't even know what Cam is referring to. It may be nothing."

Brennan once again shook herself from her thoughts, took a deep breath and smiled at Booth, "I am fine; I am just anxious to rectify the situation."

Realizing that it appeared Booth had detoured from their regular route to the lab, Brennan became concerned. "Booth, where are you going? This is not the most efficient route to the Jeffersonian."

"Coffee Bones, a man needs his coffee in the morning."

"You could have stopped by the diner; I don't see the need to go out of the way." Agitation creeping into her tone, "I am extremely busy today and I would appreciate if we could stick to the itinerary."

"Just a quick stop Bones, we are almost there." Booth struggled to keep the anxiety and excitement out of his voice.

Parking the car, Booth sent a quick prayer up to God that things would go as he hoped.

"Booth, what are we doing at the reflecting pool?"

"I told you Bones. Coffee. Come on; let's get you your usual."

"I am not thirsty, and while the coffee cart has decent beverages, I don't know that it warranted a 10 minute detour…" Brennan quietly complained, but then shrugged it off as Booth's hand found its home on her lower back and guided her around the busy area.

He paused just as they got to the cart.

"You know Bones, I am late."

"Don't be silly Booth, as we are not even required to be working today, I am sure Cam will understand if we are slightly tardy."

"That's not what I meant Bones."

She looked at him quizzically before he continued, "I was supposed to be here a year ago, and so were you."

Brennan's breath caught in her throat as she realized what day it was. Two years ago, they were standing in an airport terminal, making a promise to one another. "Booth…"

"Bones, Temperance, it has taken us a long time to get here. We have experienced more heartache in our lives than anyone should have to experience. But I wouldn't trade a day of what I have gone through, because each difficult step in my path has led me to you. I wish I could take away all of the pain you have experienced, and while I can't change the past, I can promise you that I will be there to catch you anytime you might fall, for the rest of your life. Nothing and no one will change that. You are the most intelligent, strong, beautiful woman I have ever met. I thank God everyday that he brought us together."

Booth reached for Brennan's hand, sliding a beautiful diamond ring onto her finger.

"Booth, that is my mother's ring…"

"Max gave it to me." Holding both of her hands gingerly, brown eyes met blue as Booth asked the most important question he would ever utter. "Bones, I know you think it is an antiquated ritual, but will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?"

For Booth, the world stood still in those brief moments before she answered with a breathy yes.

A mega-watt smile graced Booths face, and their lips crashed into each others; neither able to hold in their elation.

When they finally stopped to take a much needed breath, Brennan spoke first.

"You know Booth, I am late too."

"Yeah, Bones, but we got hear, even if it was a year late."

"That's not what I was referring to Booth."

It only took a moment for Booth to realize that he now had two reasons to be the happiest man on earth.


End file.
